MoralPLai: Insights from the AI Tribute at the 27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Film Festival

“The film we are about to see, the opening film of this year’s Festival, is called About a Hero, crafted by the Polish filmmaker Piotr Winiewicz. Piotr may not be here with us tonight, but he is coming to Thessaloniki tomorrow and he will be in attendance at the second screening of the film, on Saturday, at the Makedonikon theater, at 19.30 in order to discuss with the audience all the themes this film addresses. And what are these themes specifically? First and foremost, the director asked an AI program to study all of the films by his renowned German colleague, the great Werner Herzog, and write a script adopting his style of narration. In the documentary that emerged as a result of this process, the narrator’s voice belongs to Herzog, even though it was created by an AI program. With his permission, of course. But what happens if similar films are created without their protagonists’ consent? What does the future hold for us? We hope it will be a future primarily shaped by human intelligence.” 

27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Film Festival
Thessaloniki Port, Greece

With these words, the Festival’s Artistic Director, Orestis Andreadakis (@andreadakisorestis), kicked off the 27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Film Festival (27th TiDF), which will run from March 6-16, 2025, bringing over 260 documentaries to the big screen, including dozens of world premieres and a special tribute to AI.

TiDF27 Official Catalogue & An Inevitable Intelligence – AI
The special publication of the Central Tribute of the 27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Film Festival 

MoralPLai team member Anastasia Aritzi had the opportunity to attend the opening days of the festival in Thessaloniki, Greece, where she watched documentaries from the tribute to Artificial Intelligence, titled AI: An Inevitable Intelligence. This tribute aims to delve into the shifting boundaries between the human and the digital, inviting viewers to reflect on the expanding role of AI in everyday life.

More specifically, the MoralPLai Communications Consultant attended the second screening of the film About a Hero, which opened the festival. There, she had the opportunity to hear filmmaker Piotr Winiewicz share his thoughts on the movie and engage with audience questions. In a sold-out theater, people of all ages gathered to watch a film that examines, among other things, concepts such as originality and authenticity in the age of AI. 

Piotr Winiewicz during the QA session at Makedonikon theater,
8/03/2025, Thessaloniki

“Observing people’s reactions and the questions that followed the screening was fascinating. On the one hand, there was the cinephile audience, individuals with a deep knowledge of cinema, curious to see how technology could replicate the style of one of the most influential figures in world cinema, Werner Herzog. On the other hand, an audience was eager to explore AI’s impact, how technology reshapes our experiences, influences human creativity, redefines the boundaries of our symbiosis with technology and intersects with every aspect of our interactions. In the MoralPLai project, we aim to investigate how AI systems influence human ethical decision-making, a topic that questions this symbiosis and interaction with technology. Being able to attend the 27th TiDF, which pays special tribute to AI and watch how this topic is addressed to the general public through different forms of art,  in this case, cinema, was a great opportunity to understand different perspectives, as well as the need for people to understand the implications of technology in their lives and how arts can play a central role in this.” Anastasia Aritzi 

The MoralPLai team member, also had the chance to see the movie iHuman by Tonje Hessen Schei. “iHuman is a film that follows pioneers on the front lines of the invisible AI revolution, exposing how this technology is being developed and implemented. In iHuman, some of the brightest minds in the AI industry decrypt a roadmap to our future…” describes the film’s trailer. This film was released in 2019. Where do we stand six years later? 

Last but not least, the MoralPLai Communications Consultant experienced the interactive visual art installation AI & Me by the art duo mots (@madebymots) from Romania, formed by the filmmakers-transdisciplinary artists Daniela Nedovescu and Octavian Mot, within the framework of the 27th TiDF’s Immersive: All around cinema. 

AI&Me-VR Interactive Installation
West Guardhouse, Gate 1, Pier A, Port of Thessaloniki

“AI & Me is a multipiece installation that explores the interaction between AI and human participants, focusing on the themes of judgement, perception, and the human willingness to be analysed by the machines. The Confessional is a personal experience where participants sit in a cube-like structure to face an unfiltered machine evaluation based solely on their appearance…AI Ego is a piece composed of a series of screens that display participants from The Confessional in surreal, AI-generated scenarios…” Daniela Nedovescu & Octavian Mot

The art duo mots 
Daniela Nedovescu & Octavian Mot

“I decided to conduct an experiment. The first time I sat in front of the machine, I wore an arty t-shirt, full of colors and abstract sketches. The second time, I wore my reading glasses and put on my black jacket. The results were strikingly different. In the first case, the machine, among other things, profiled me as a younger woman, providing more humorous responses. The second case suggested that I was older and the responses were more sophisticated. This also affected the AI-generated images, demonstrating how visual prompts and elements, such as reading glasses, can reveal biases in data and shape machine responses. Reflecting on this experience, I can not help but think about how the prompts we use, formulate questions and interact with LLMs can influence their responses. Returning to Germany, I am eager to share this experience and my thoughts with the MoralPLai team, who are already working on the script for the theatrical play.” Anastasia Aritzi

Warning: The photos in the right column are AI-generated

 

Special thanks to Daniela Nedovescu for providing more information about the AI&Me installation. 

Visit the MoralPLai Project webpage to learn more and stay tuned for updates!